Process and apparatus for the dyeing of bell-shaped felt pieces employed in hat manufacture



\ 1,614,408 Jan. 11,1927. F STOFFEL PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE DYEING OF BELL SHAPED FELT PIECES EMPLOYED IN HAT MANUFACTURE Filed April 20, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1927 F. STOFFEL PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE DYEING OF BELL SHAPED FELT PIECES EMPLOYED IN HAT MANUFACTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 20, 1926 Patented Jan. 11, 1927.

UNITED; STATE 1,614,40a PATENT ()FFHZ FERNAND s'rorr'iiri; or rears; FRANCE.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS'FOR THE DY'EING OF BELL-SHAPED FELT PIECES EMPLOYED IN HAT'MANUFACTURE.

Application filed April 20, 1926, S crialNo. 103,305; andin France April 27, 1925.

My invention has for its object'a simple and rapid processforthe economical dyeing is usually performed by the clipping process,

at a stage of the manufacture of the said pieces termed the pressing of fulling, in Which the fibres forming the pieces are not as yet agglomerated in their' definite form,- since in this latter state they would be hardly permeable to the dye bath, which, when applied, would act at a disadvantage, as it would enter only a deposit of colour at the surface andnot throughout the Whole mass,

this deposit being obviously unstable, and. the subsequent operations of blocking and ironing Will tendv to remove this colour. It thus becomes necessary, if the dyeing is to be carried out after the completion of the bell, that is to say, after the fulling or assembling of the fibres, andwvhen the permeability is very low, to proceed'in such manner that the dye bath shalltra'verse the felt to the said hell or of the hat. I

Apparatus for the circulation of liquid have already been used for this purpose, but the methods u'tilised'or the apparatus employed are relatively complicated, they re,- quire a very great power todrivether'n, and the dyeingoperations are of along duration.

The process, the object of'iny'invention, is particularly suitable for dyeing in single pieces or in small" quantities such as is of frequent occurrence in the inztn'ufacture of ladies hats in which the shades of colour are varied to an infinite degree, and are chiefly intended to match the fabrics of gowns or trimmings. For this reason-it is necessary to e'ife'ct the dyeing in a very rapid and accurate menner to the required shades ofcol'ousr', and at-the' rni'n i-mum expense.

In my said process, I circulate the dye baththroughthefelt bell'or hatby means of vacuunr- Which is produced under ad'equate' suppo'rt" consisting of 'i'net'al, which is suitably apeiture'd, or of like material, upon-Which is fitted the felt bell or -hat, the Whole being disposed in a vat which is past: 1y filled-With the eye bath:

The ori imn r feature Or'mysaid prdces's consists in the fact that the'goods t6 tie-dyed Will assure in themselves and an automatic manned-according as they are progressively caused to descend upon their supportthe desired tight Working which affords the circulation, by \vithdraiiral through the felt, of the dyeingliquid which is delivered in a shovver upon the bell. The circulation of' the liquid is effected by a pump which brings it from the interior to the exterior of theapparatus and then delivers it again in a! shower upon the surface of the bell, through ivhiclrit will circulate in a continuous cycle, it beingbrought constantly to the interior ofthe;said'hell'bythe vacuum prevailing; therein, this taking place, until the desired shade ofc'olou'i', is ohtained This operation, which is relatively simple, Willhoii-ever require iii-practice a constant manipulation of the bell'whic'h is to be dyed, so that the dyeing maybe cdntinue'dlin the proper manner and the shades of colourl may be accurately obtained, which shades as a general rule, can only be obtained by experiment, that is to say by repeated modificadoes of; the dye batl1, i M

To effect the addition of the dyestuffs serving to modify the colour, during the' operation, it may prove necessary to remove the felt b'ellfi om'its support and to rapidly replace it, andfin' conditions which would be almost impossible by reason of the temperature of the dye' b'atli which is constantly at a boiling heat, if'the said 'bel f'vve're immersed in the bath; on the other hand, vl hen the said belt or hat are not iininersed in the liqhid', it will suffice tor-ease the sprinkling in" Orderto' observe the progress of the colour, since the said bell or hat are alivays visible; v

By the afo'resaidpro'cess, I am enabled to' perform all the various operations iii'a siin ple andrapid ina nner since the dye bath is in fact during the ope'ration,due tethevacuun maintained in the interior of; the support by reason of" the application of the felt bell u'pon the said sup orweon mfia circulated below the latter through the rutbell, so that'no trace of the bath Will remain at theexterior;

F or the reasons above set forth,- either in order to modify the dye bath or for the examination of the" felt hell, the latter can be readily s'ei iedafter sto 'aping the shoyver, Without any danger of burning the tingets eie boiling-liquid beingi always c'o'n fined within the support when the operator removes the said bell; the holes in said support are now uncovered; the liquid will flow into the vat in which said support is disposed, and its level will only rise when the felt bell is removed.

After the dye bath has been modified and the felt bell has been gradually put in place, the level of the bath will descend and at the same time as the felt bell successively covers the holes in the support, thus reducing until they are all covered the inlets of air and producing the vacuum in the interior of the support. During this operation, the operators hands are always protected against the contact of the boiling liquid.

The following description will permit of observing the manner in which my said process is carried into effect by means of the apparatus shown in the appended drawing, which is given by way of example Fig. 1 shows the apparatus in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan view.

Figs. 3, 4- and 5 show in section the vat of the apparatus with the said support, during various stages of "the operation; Fig. 3 before the application of the felt bell, Fig. 4 during a stage of its application, and Fig. 5 during the operation of sprinkling and circulation of the dye bath, when the bell is entirely placed upon the perforated sup- )ort.

l The apparatus serving to carry out the process as above set forth, consists in principle of a support having the form of a perforated cone a with rounded top disposed in a vat 6 upon the bottom of which it rests by means of its lower circular edge. Through the bottom of the said vat is inserted a pipe 0 serving to produce a vacuum, which rises to a certain height, and nearly to the top of the cone. The small pipes (Z and (Z open into the bottom part (Z the first pipe being employed for the supply of steam for heating the dye bath, and the second for the discharge of the said dye bath.

' The said vat is provided at the top with a pipe 6 for the supply of the dyeing liquid, and it carries 011 its elbow'disposed on the axis of the said vat an elastic sleeve f, or a pivoted tube, provided with a sprinkling head Z.

The pipe 6 is connected at the other end with the delivery pipe 9 of a pump 7z-for instance of the centrifugal type whose inlet 2' is connected with the pipe 0Z The vacuum pipe 0 is curved below the said vat and is connected with a main vacuum conduit j, through the medium of a cock 7c. The pipe at, which is also curved below the said vat, is connected with the conduit m-provided with the valve n which supplies the steam forheating the dye bath. The vat b and the said pipes are mounted on a suitable main frame 7; carrying a bracket 1 which supports the pump h as well as the electric motor 0 driving the latter. 7

The process, the object of the invention, is carried out by means of said apparatus in the following manner:

The operator, after filling the vat with the dye bath to a. certain level, as shown in Fig. 3, places the felt bell r upon the perforated support a, and after opening the vacuum conduit and in order to properly place the same in position, he gradually lowers the felt on the said bell which, when it is applied upon the holes in the support will close the same and will thus prevent the entrance of air, so that the vacuum pro duced by the pipe 0 will now act, thus causing a suction from the exterior of the support to the interior of this latter, which effects the descent of the liquid level at the exterior and causes it to rise in the interior. According as the liquid descends at the exterior of the support, the operator continues to gradually bring down the felt piece upon its support, and he thus avoids scalding his hands by the boiling dye bath, heated by the steam, which is supplied at (P. In this manner he finally covers the whole support with the felt.

When in order to modify the composition of the bath to obtain the desired shade of colour or to inspect the felt bell, the operator wishes to remove this latter, he

seizes the ends of the same, which as above stated are not immersed in the liquid, since the latter is entirely removed from the upper region of the support, and he gradually raises the felt bell, and in all cases without any danger of burning his fingers with the liquid which gradually rises at the exterior of the support. I

The dyeing operation is performed in the following manner:

When the pump is started, this sets up the circulation of the dye bath, which is dis charged by the pump a and is then sprinkled on the felt by the operator. The liquid then circulates, under the action of the vacuum;

through the felt of the said bell and pro- 1 5 ceeds into the interior of the same, which part must be evacuated by the tube 0.

The sprinkling operation lasts for the time which the operator considers necessary to obtain the desired colour; this operation can be interrupted if required in order to change the composition of the bath, or to invert the said bell and to replace it upon the support to assure the penetration of the dye bath in both directions in a perfect and complete manner.

It is evident that with the said apparatus I may obtain a dyeing of the felt bells which is extremely rapid and absolutely perfect,

as well as inexpensive, and the said process as well as the apparatus with which it is carried out will permit of a ready operation upon distinct units, and of taking an exact account of the colour assumed by the felt bell, since it is constantly visible, without having recourse to small samples as in the known dyeing methods which give rather inaccurate indications.

Obviously, the said apparatus is susceptible of detail modifications without departing from the principle of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A arocess for the dyeing of the bell shaped felt pieces employed for the manufacture of hats which consists in sprinkling with the dye bath the bell shaped piece mounted on a perforated support, and in producing a vacuum in the interior of the said support, in such manner that the complete penetration of the felt goods is assured by the circulation of the dye bath through the same.

2. An apparatus for the dyeing of the bell shaped felt pieces, employed for the manufacture of hats, comprising a vat, a perforated support of approximately conical shape resting upon the bottom of the vat, a tube in the interior of the support extending through the bottom of the vat and attaining a point close to the top of the support, means for connecting said tube with a vacuum conduit a sprinkler head disposed above the support, and means for supplying the dye bath to the said sprinkler head.

3. An apparatus for the dyeing of the bell shaped felt pieces, employed for the manufacture of hats, comprising a vat, a perforated support of approximately conical shape, resting upon the bottom of the vat, a tube in the interior of the support, extending through the bottom of the vat and attaining a point close to the top of the support, means for connecting said tube with a vacuum conduit, a tube for the discharge of the dye bath from the vat, a sprinkler head disposed above the support, and means for supplying the dye bath to the said sprinkler head.

4. An apparatus for the dyeing of the bell shaped felt pieces, employed for the manu facture of hats, comprising a vat, a perforated support of approximately conical shape, resting upon the bottom of the vat, a tube, in the interior of the support, extending through the bottom of the vat-and attaining a point close to the top of the support, means for connecting said tube with a vacuum conduit, a tube for the discharge of the dye bath from the vat, a sprinkler head disposed upon the support, a pump for withdrawing the dye bath through said dis charge tube, and for supplying it to sprinkler head.

5. An apparatus for the dyeing of the bell shaped felt pieces, employed for the manu facture of hats, comprising a vat, a perforated support of approximately conical shape, resting upon the bottom of the vat, a tube in the interior of the support, extending through the bottom of the vat and attaining a point close to the top of the support, means for connecting said tube with a vacuum conduit, a tube for the discharge of the dye bath rom the vat, a sprinkler head disposed upon the support, a pump for Withdrawing the dye bath through said discharge tube and for supplying it to sprinkler head, a tube at the bottom of the vat for the admission of steam for heating the dye bath.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name hereto.

FERNAND STOFFEL. 

